Respect. A very popular word. We hear rap artists calling for it in their lyrics, we see the virtues of it posted on primary school walls, we understand it as part of discussions relating to end of life decisions. Respect is commonly used in many contexts, and I would suggest that most people have a healthy understanding and appreciation of what the word means, no matter where they live on the planet.

More complicated than defining the word, is knowing how to put respect into action. In the event of deciding whether our actions or words are respectful or not, who decides?

Adolescence is generally understood to be a time when young people try different things, meet different people, experiment, challenge, test, question and mature. And the vast majority of kids at TCS are no different than the vast majority of other kids around the world. So, even with all the amazing initiatives, great kids and positive culture at TCS, as I have referenced before, the grim realities of adolescent life are alive and well at TCS, too!

Do you remember entering high school? The summer leading up to the first day? The night before? Then, going to school in the morning on the first day?

If you could go back in time, what would you tell yourself now, that you wish you knew when you were 14 years of age?

I would tell myself to be kinder. To be more forgiving. To take an interest in more of my classmates. To try different things. And, to travel.

Few sports baffle and intrigue me more than rowing, particularly as a sport for adolescents. After all, it is a sport in which you are travelling backwards, not seeing the finish line and only truly seeing the person in front of you! Teenagers, many of whom often find it excruciatingly difficult to get out of bed before 11:00 a.m. on a Saturday, find themselves in a car or a bus being taken to the water as early as 5:00 a.m.! Training sessions in the off-season consist of sitting on an ergometer and pulling a rope that turns a fly wheel until your muscles burn and hurt.